Lo Que Será
by Cytherea4
Summary: AU: At the end of "Singled Out", Tony's split-second decision is to take the promotion, not to turn it down. Rated T to be safe, mentions some adult content mostly in regard to his relationship with Jeanne .
1. The Decision

Tony stood outside the door. He hesitated before bringing his hand up to knock on it. He had been agonizing over this decision all day. It hadn't been easy, and he still didn't know what he was going to do. He recalled the day's events quickly, running them over through his mind. Gibbs had returned; they worked a case together like it used to be—only it wasn't. They struggled with who was in charge, although not with any malice. Tony was just so used to it after all these months that it was hard to pull back and become just another field agent again. His team was no longer his team… but it really never was. They would always be "Team Gibbs." So when Jenny offered him his own team, a huge promotion, to NCIS Rota, Spain, he was stunned. The case conveniently kept him from responding to the offer in the allotted time, but here he was, at the end of the night, about to make a decision that would affect the rest of his life, no matter what he choose.

He knew that he had to just do it and get it over with. He knocked on the door.

"Come in, Tony!" Only slightly surprised, he opened the door and entered Director Shepard's office.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Because your deadline passed hours ago." Tony shut the door behind him.

"I've made my decision."

"And I respect it. Sometimes, I even wish I made the same one myself."

"But didn't you always take the opportunities presented to you to further your career? I'm taking the promotion, Jenny."

Director Shepard was startled. After her conversation earlier with Gibbs, she was so sure that DiNozzo would be passing on the promotion. This was the last thing she expected to hear. Still, she thought quickly, she was impressed with his decision to take on the responsibility that everyone knew he could handle.

"You're not disappointed by my decision, are you?"

"No. Actually, I'm feeling a bit proud at the moment. This is a big step, Tony." He nodded, almost solemnly.

"Go home and get some sleep. I'll leave it to you to tell the rest of the team in the morning. Once I file this paperwork, you'll be on your way to Rota before you know it. Good night, Tony."

"Good night, Jenny." With those parting words, he left.


	2. Honest Reflection

Anthony DiNozzo, former senior field agent under one Very Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, partner to Caitlin Todd until her tragic death by a terrorist sniper's bullet, and then to Mossad liaison officer Ziva David (that's "Ze-vah Dah-veed"), over probationary agent Timothy McGee (loving called "Probie" or "Mc-whatever-the-situation-warrants"), who briefly became the team leader when Gibbs 'retired' and earned his own probie, Agent Michelle Lee, and a covert undercover operative for Director Jennifer Shepard of NCIS, was about to leave everything he knew and had come to love and cherish, including but not limited to all of the above, extending to the counselor/doctor grandfatherly figure found in Medical Examiner Dr. Donald Mallard (called "Ducky"), his confidant, Ducky's assistant, Jimmy Palmer, and the NCIS forensic scientist and ballistics expert who he loved like a sister, one Abigail Scuito (or, "Abby")… and he was absolutely terrified.

As Tony drove home from the Navy Yard, he couldn't begin to fathom what had come over him in that moment. Leave? Leave this—all of this? The people he considered the family he never had? He thought for sure he was ready to turn down the promotion, but when Jenny implied that she knew he was going to do that very thing, his ego stepped in and refused to be passed over. He sighed, a discontented sigh that spoke volumes to the inner conflict he was struggling with. It didn't seem real, but he knew he needed to start packing. He had made his decision, and now, he had to live with it.

As he reached his place, his cell phone rang. He hoped he wouldn't have to turn back around and face the team again before morning—he needed this night to himself and his thoughts, and he just couldn't deal with them or a new case right now. He glanced at his phone and realized that it wasn't his NCIS phone, but his 'personal' cell. "Jeanne" read the caller id. He silenced the call and walked inside, hoping that she wouldn't call back.

He hadn't talked to Jenny about what he would tell her. Jeanne Benoit, daughter of an arms dealer dubbed "The Frog", who Director Shepard had some personal vendetta against and was invested in using every ounce of power her office gave her in tracking him down and taking him out, however it had to happen. He knew that she was too invested in this, but in his position, there was nothing he could do about it. So he did as he was asked, and befriended the young doctor who had no idea what type of business her father dealt in. Before long, they were dating, exclusively. It was the mission that made him hesitate in his decision.

He told Jenny that he didn't want to sacrifice the mission. Told her that if she put someone else undercover, it wouldn't work and would raise attention to what they were up to. In reality, the mission made him hesitate in another way. He liked Jeanne, liked her a lot. He had never done this kind of undercover work before, and he was unaware where the lines were drawn. Should he sleep with her? Is that going to far? So far, he had been able to keep himself from consummating the relationship, but it wasn't easy, especially with the way he usually took his relationships. He found himself at ease with her, enjoyed her company, and looked forward to the next time he would see her. He never missed her calls… not until tonight.

Plopping himself down on the couch, beer in hand, and the rest of the six-pack on the coffee table, Tony reflected on the quite frightening realization that he had been pushing away for quite some time now: if he had meet Jeanne on his own, in some other situation, he'd have liked her just as genuinely. In fact, it wasn't even hard to change his 'playboy' ways because he _did_ want to be with her… and although their relationship was still new it felt different from all the others. With her, he was the man he always wanted to be. With her, he felt different. And despite the fact that Anthony DiNozzo had always been convinced that he could never truly love a woman (not after the way his father acted, certainty!), he felt himself slipping away… with every conversation, every interaction, he slipped further and further into the realm of what he refused to acknowledge had the potential to become _love_. The kind of love that good marriages are built on; the kind of love that makes you want to grow old together. With Jeanne, Tony wanted that relationship.

Grabbing another beer and putting the empty bottle down, Tony admitted it to himself for the first time. Did he love Jeanne? No, not yet. Was he in love with Jeanne? No, not yet. But he really, really, _really_ liked Jeanne, cared for Jeanne, wanted to be with Jeanne, and if things continued to progress in the way they had been up until this point, he would find himself head over heels in love with her before too long. And it was terrifying.

He knew things couldn't possibly end well. In the end, she'd know that she was an assignment, that he was the reason her father was dead or in prison, that as far as she was concerned, their whole relationship had been a lie, right down to his name and occupation. Anthony DiNardo—a film professor for an online university. Fitting, he supposed, but not true, and that would be all that mattered.

Before he knew it, he was on his last beer. Luckily, she hadn't called back. He still hadn't figured out what to tell her. What reason did he have for leaving? He knew that he had to tell her he was moving; just breaking up with her wouldn't be enough—she'd pursue him in an attempt to win him back over. Jenny probably had an idea. At least, he hoped she did. He wished with all his heart that he could tell her the truth about the whole thing, and maybe convince her to come to Spain with him. It wasn't France, but it would do nicely, he thought.

No, Tony didn't take the promotion for any other reason than this—he was terrified of what was developing between him and his assignment, and he just couldn't bear the thought of hurting her like he would ultimately have to. And he knew that if he did, it would crush him, break him, and destroy him just as much as it would her.


	3. The Announcement

Tony had passed out on the couch. He was entirely too exhausted, too drunk, and too emotionally drained to even venture an attempt at making it to the bedroom. So when the sun shone through the windows, he woke up early, sore, and no less conflicted than the night before. He groaned as he shifted his cramped body to reach for his cell phone and check the time. The first thing he saw was the missed call from Jeanne, an unneeded reminder of what was coming in the near future. He shut his phone without checking the time. It was time to get ready for work.

Tony had attempted to mentally prepare himself as he drove to the Navy Yard. It wasn't working. He was not looking forward to telling everyone that he was leaving.

His heart was pounding as he rode up the elevator, knowing that while everything looked the same, nothing would ever be the same again.

The elevator door opened and the first thing that he saw was Jenny, waiting at the top of the stairs for him to show up. She smiled at him with her trademark smile, and began her descent down the stairs. It was only then that he noticed the entirety of Team Gibbs gathered around the cluster of desks. Ziva, McGee, and Gibbs were sitting at their desks; Ducky was leaning on Gibbs' desk, and Palmer was sitting on top of his empty desk. Abby was pacing back and forth behind where McGee sat, her hands nervously taping against one another held up near her mouth. The concern was evident on her face and in her body manner. Jenny must have said something, Tony concluded, to get them all here, waiting for him. He took a deep breath.

He arrived at his desk just as Jenny did from the opposite side. He tried to match her bright smile, but his slight hangover was preventing him from doing anything of the kind. She nodded at Gibbs before putting her arm around Tony.

"Tony and I have an announcement," she declared. Abby was immediately still, her eyes wide and jumping between his and the director's. Everyone else was focused on the scene taking place before them with curiosity, save Gibbs, who was giving his traditional 'stop interfering with me and my team' glare to Director Shepard. Tony couldn't help but laugh inwardly; if only Gibbs knew what Jenny had him doing without his approval, that glare would be so, so much worse.

She glanced at him and smiled encouragingly.

"I… I've been offered a promotion." Abby and McGee gasped, torn between being happy for Tony and wondering what this would mean.

"After the wonderful work Tony has done here in Agent Gibbs' absence, I felt that he was truly deserving of his own team. Agent DiNozzo will be reassigned to NCIS Rota, Spain, and will be leaving in two weeks time. I am very, very proud of Tony for taking on such responsibility, as you all should be as well. I am confident in his ability and wish him all the best in his endeavors. Congratulations, Tony." Jenny hugged him.

"I'll leave you all to Tony now. I'm sure you have plenty of well wishes and questions for him," Jenny said with a smile, and departed.

Ducky was the first to react, giving Tony a warm handshake. "Well, well, Anthony. How lovely! I am quite convinced that you will perform just wonderfully! Congratulations, my boy."

Palmer, with his big goofy grin, reached Tony next, not shying away from giving him a hug. His words, quietly spoken into Tony's ear, were not heard by the rest of the team, but Tony heard him loud and clear: "Congrats, man. You're going to be great. I am going to miss you though."

Abby was next. Her eyes were filled with tears as she rushed into his arms, practically knocking the wind out of him. She just held on tightly without saying a word, not willing to speak or let go. "Oh Tony… what am I going to do without you?! I mean, this is great, this is a really, really great opportunity and you really deserve it, but… I already miss you so much! Promise me you'll call and write everyday?? And visit whenever you can??" Tony just nodded.

McGee slowly rose from his desk and offered Tony his hand for a firm handshake. He was too shocked to speak still, so they nodded at each other.

Gibbs did the same. Never one for many words, he imitated McGee's solemn yet congratulatory handshake before turning back to his desk.

Ziva, however, did nothing. If it was possible, she seemed to disappear even further into her desk, giving the impression that she wasn't even there; or perhaps, simply the impression that if she had a choice, she would have actually disappeared. She was looking down and refused to make eye contact with anyone.

Before Tony could approach Ziva, the phone rang. "Gear up" said Gibbs, and the team, eager to regain some state of normalcy, quickly did as asked and headed for the elevator right behind Gibbs, with Abby, Ducky, and Jimmy trailing behind, heading back to their respective floors to get back to work.


	4. Not a Real Case

Two weeks. Two short weeks to say goodbye, to pack up his belongings and find an apartment to move into in Spain. Tony was worried, but now that he had told everybody, heard their words in response (except for Ziva, that is), and his hangover was gone, he was actually starting to get a little bit excited. He was looking forward to having his own team, being in charge and being able to really be himself as the team leader and not attempt a measly imitation of Gibbs. Well, he mused, even if he _was_ a measly imitation of Gibbs, his new team wouldn't know that, and they'd see it as him and not some impersonator. No, this might not be so bad. It was going to be hard, no doubt, but Tony remembered how good it felt to be in charge, and he walked to the crime scene with an extra spring in his step.

By the time they were on their way back to the office, things almost seemed normal again. Tony and McGee were back to bantering as usual. Ziva, however, remained quiet and withdrawn. She had nothing to say, no friendly teasing or snide remarks. The crime scene, if you could call it that, didn't really warrant a call out, and Tony suspected that when the call came in, Gibbs wasn't really paying attention. Either that, or he was, and decided that the only way to avoid the assuredly awkward looks and silence that would follow the reactions to Tony's promotion was to make things seem as normal as they could be by forcing them to leave the office and act as though they were federal investigators and nothing more.

Back at the office, McGee wrote up the report while Gibbs went for coffee. Ziva was nowhere to be found; Tony suspected she had gone to Ducky for comfort, as she had done once or twice before. He was concerned about her. Her reaction was to not react, and ignore him (and everyone else). He knew he was going to have to talk to her about it at some point, but for now…

Tony's phone rang. It was the Director. He figured she wanted to speak to him, so instead of answering, he went straight up to her office. Cynthia buzzed him in.

"I didn't realize you were back yet."

"Eh, the 'case' wasn't really much of anything. We got back just a minute ago."

"Well then. Here is the paperwork for your reassignment, complete with the files on your new team. Your start date is two weeks from now, so I'd book that flight as soon as you can."

"Thank you, Jenny."

She smiled. "Listen, Tony, if you need any help finding a place to live or packing, don't hesitate to ask. You know everyone, even Gibbs, would help you out."

"I know," Tony replied, "but I'm not sure how they are taking it and I don't want to push things just yet. I'll probably ask McGee to do his computer thing and find me an apartment online." She laughed.

"Listen, Jenny, I need to ask you about what is going to happen with the mission…?"

"Don't worry about Jeanne. I've already set up another undercover agent to befriend her, who will be there for her when you leave to console her. He met her last night and they've already exchanged numbers and made plans for later on this week, although she is insistent that she has a wonderful boyfriend and only interested in him as a friend. No, I won't tell you his name. I'm working on a way for you to break up with her—right now, I think it would be best if you do it just a few days before you leave so she doesn't have too much time to respond." Seeing the look on Tony's face, she hurried to add, "Unless you have a better idea, Agent DiNozzo?"

Tony shook his head quickly. "No, Director. Whatever you come up with will be fine. Let me know when you have the story."

"Of course. Now, why don't you take the rest of the day off and start preparing yourself for Spain? You have a lot of papers to look over before you go."

"Thank you, Director."

"Don't worry about telling the team, I'll inform Gibbs for you. Just go ahead." Jenny moved closer to Tony and gave him a brief hug. "I know this isn't easy for you, but you're doing the right thing and I am confident in your abilities. Everything will turn out just fine."

Tony nodded in response and whispered, "Thanks, Jenny."


	5. A Quick Phone Call

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story, added it to their alert, and/or favorited it. I appreciate the feedback! Just to clear a few things up: we will get more of a reaction from Gibbs, however, you won't see it until Chapter 8. Much of this is focused on Tony's thoughts, right now, overwhelmingly concerning Jeanne. Since I am writing it from Tony's perspective though, things he doesn't see or know, we don't either (e.g. Gibbs' reaction to Jenny and who the new agent is). And just to reiterate, this is an AU where Tony takes the promotion, so he will be going to Spain. This doesn't mean that Team Gibbs is out of the picture though! Thanks again for the reviews—the more there are, the more likely I am to post (as you can well see, hence, this chapter!) =) I will most likely be posting again tonight, since this one is pretty short (and so is the next one!).**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Well, Tony thought with an ironic, twisted laugh, I guess Jenny wasted no time in getting someone else to take over my position. I guess that's why Jeanne never called back last night. At that moment, his phone rang. It was Jeanne.

"Hello?"

"Tony! I missed you last night. I tried to call you…"

"Sorry about that… I, uh, I … I fell asleep on the couch and didn't hear the phone ring."

"You must have been tired! Are you well rested now? I hope you haven't forgotten about our date—you need to help me study!"

"Of course I didn't forget, I'm on my way now. I hope you weren't too lonely last night?" Tony winced as he fished for information. He knew he shouldn't be doing it, but he couldn't resist. He needed to know.

"I met a really nice guy last night, actually. His name is Mark. You'd really like him."

"Uh oh, do I have some competition??"

"No! I made it very clear that I have a wonderful boyfriend, and I am only interested in being friends."

"Yeah, sure, ok…"

"Are you… are you jealous??"

"Maybe just a little. Who wouldn't be interested in a beautiful woman like yourself?"

"Oh Tony," she giggled, "don't be silly. I'll see you in 5?"

"Make that 10. See you then."

"Bye, Tony."

"Bye, Jeanne."

Tony hung up the phone with a sigh. He really was going to miss her.


	6. Date at the Coffee Shop

"This hypothesis states that the fate of transplanted embryonic cells is independent of their new position in the embryo."

"The Mosaic Hypothesis."

"I'm sorry. I'm going to need the complete answer." Tony teased.

"What is the Mosaic Hypothesis?" Jeanne emphasized with a smile.

"Correct! Hot and smart. A female version of me."

"Oh! So you think I'm ready for the exam tomorrow?"

"Well, I have twenty bucks saying you're going to set the curve."

"Okay, that's good to hear. Because that means it's my turn to ask you some questions" She responded with a sly grin.

"Fire away."

"All right, how's a… how's a kind of cute, definitely charming, guy like you, who does some pretty bad impersonations…"

Tony seized the opportunity to use one of them at that very moment. "I don't know what that means, but I thank you." To his delight, it elicited a laugh out of Jeanne.

"…manage to stay single for so long?"

"Oh, you're going to ask a real question. That's a real question."

"Yeah."

"Um… what are commitment issues?" She laughed again.

"Not buying it."

"Really?"

"Mm-mm."

"And why is that?"

"In the last hour…"

"Yeah?"

"At least a dozen hot coeds have walked by. Your eyes haven't wandered once."

"Really? Well, obviously yours have" he joked.

"Don't get your hopes up. I'm a very um… _traditional_ girl."

"Oh, so is Anne Hecht."

"You still haven't answered my question, Tony." Tony hesitated. He wanted to tell her, tell her how he was patiently waiting to find the right girl. How he was more and more confident each day that he would find her. That it was meeting her, being with _her_, that changed him. But he knew that he couldn't do that, not now.

"Okay, okay. Really, I blame my parents. They were pretty messed up. They never loved each other; I knew about their affairs… they didn't provide a very good model. I vowed to myself to never let myself fall into that kind of a relationship. Hence, commitment issues." Jeanne simply nodded, solemnly.


	7. The Last Happy Memories of Jeanne

The next week flew by, almost in a blur. By the end of it, Tony had enlisted McGee's help in finding him an apartment in Spain, as well as the best movers. Abby had come over and brought him dinner that first night, which they ate while simultaneously watching their favorite films and packing up the non-essentials. Tony realized that he had too much to take it all with him, and by a stroke of luck, Ducky offered him the unused space in his cellar, which ended up being a perfect arrangement. It was Palmer who helped him move those boxes into Ducky's basement, and they spent the evening with Ducky, his mother, and the dogs, enjoying a home-cooked meal and the free entertainment. Ziva had stayed away. Tony knew he had to talk to her, but he was admittedly a bit nervous about what she might do to him, so he had avoided it for now. Gibbs, although not outwardly different, was clearly proud of Tony and wanted him to succeed, as was evidenced by the lack of head slaps and the constant reminder of 'the rules', as if Tony could ever forget them!

Tony was gathering the last of his things to leave for the weekend (despite the fact that it already was the weekend, it was Saturday), when Jenny called to him from the staircase. The look in her eyes told him that she had manufactured the break-up story that he was to tell Jeanne before he left. She turned back to her office to wait for his arrival. As he slowly climbed the stairs, he reflected on the interactions with Jeanne over this past week.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They stood outside in the cold, walking along the street.

"I love window shopping, don't you?"

"Oh, yeah. Me too." Then, after a pause, "only when I'm with you."

"Cold?"

"It's… invigorating."

"Chilly?"

"Freezing."

"Oh, poor Tony. I dragged you out here to go window shopping. Next time maybe you should choose."

"Hot tub."

"I know something else we can do to stay warm."

"Really?

"Mhmm."

"I wonder what that could be?"

The street vendor interrupted: "One cappuccino, one latte."

"Coffee?"

"Mmm. Dancing."

"Dancing? Dancing would make you warm."

"Then tonight we dance."

"Tonight…"

"Don't tell me you have to work."

It was hard keeping up this act. Technically, if his job was, as he had told her, an online professor, he could make his own hours and it wouldn't matter if he left the work for the next day. But he had to play along, and figured he'd take the heat from Gibbs. It wouldn't be too bad, not since he'd be leaving so soon. "Tonight dancing, tomorrow work."

"You don't seem too happy about that."

"I'm worried" he admitted, honestly.

"Worried about what?"

Well, he couldn't answer that one honestly. "Well, we're going dancing tonight, and I haven't got a thing to wear."

"Has anyone ever told you you're an idiot?"

"Yeah, my boss, all the time."

And they did dance. Jeanne was impressed that he actually knew how; Tony had more fun than he ever had in his life dancing. They danced under the streetlights on the darkened roads that night; he brought along an array of songs on an old tape player. She laughed at how vintage it was and smiled at his thoughtfulness as they danced the night away. Before long, they had moved inside to her apartment, where the dance turned into a slow, sensual sway, with their bodies pressed tightly to one another, to the music that played only in their head.

But they were too close, and Tony knew that if they kept this up, he wouldn't be able to resist making love to her, and that just couldn't happen. So with a sweet and tender kiss, he tucked Jeanne into bed and drove home, ignoring the frustration that had been building up within himself all night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Despite the part of him that screamed that he was allowing himself to get too close to her, he decided that if the opportunity to make love to her arose again, he would do it. He wasn't going to force it, but if he could have that memory of her, he would cherish it forever.

His chance came last night. Lounging on Jeanne's couch in her apartment, his arm around her shoulders, Tony was only partially paying attention to the foreign film they were watching together, his thoughts running wild.

"Wait a minute. I thought they were brother and sister."

"They are, but they don't know it. Haven't you been reading the subtitles?

"There are subtitles?"

"So much for being a film buff!"

"Hey! Listen, I could bore you to death with a lecture on German expressionism in film, if you'd like."

"You could never bore me."

"Well, that is very sweet of you, but you underestimate me. It is my contention, Miss Benoit, that the abstract nature of expressionism in film…"

Jeanne cut him off: "What are we doing, Tony?"

"Well, I'm boring you with German expressionism in film."

"We've been dating for over a month. Don't you find it a little curious that… we haven't taken it to the next level?"

"You mean Italian, you know, realism? Japanese—"

She cut him off again. "No."

"—cinema?"

"Sex."

Tony responded with a chuckle, reminded of the irony of the situation. He knew that she was indirectly referring to the night before. She must have been just as frustrated as he was. "Yeah. Sex. Right."

"Yeah. Is that something you might be interested in?"

"Yeah" Tony replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, I get that vibe from you. And yet we still haven't had it and you don't seem like the type who usually waits."

"Yeah. Well, it could be because you remind me of my sister" he joked.

"You said you were an only child."

"I am."

"Could I have a serious answer? Please?"

"I didn't want to rush things."

"Date two is rushing things, Tony. Date eleven, that's a violation of the Geneva Convention. Just so you know, whenever you're ready, so am I."

"I'm ready, Jeanne…" he whispered, and he kissed her, passionately.

They moved to her bed, pulling one another's clothes off along the way. They littered a trial from her couch to her bedroom, where they divested themselves of any clothes that were left, which, at that point, was not much. He spent the night making love to her—it was sweeter than he ever could have imagined. He relished the moments afterwards almost just as much, as he held her close in his arms while she slept soundly through the night, before falling into the calmest sleep he'd experienced since this whole thing had begun. Tonight, there was nothing else in all the world but the two of them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was with a heavy heart that Tony found himself at the door of the Director's office, after a slow ascent up the staircase. She had come up with a story, and in the coming days, Tony was going to have to enact it, and use that lie to break-up with the only girl he'd ever felt truly safe with.


	8. From Gibbs with Love

**A/N: Hey, all- sorry for the delay in updates, life has been pretty busy. Hopefully once things settled down in a few weeks I'll be able to update more. This chapter is pretty short, but important.  
**

**Thanks again to everyone still reading my fic! Many of you have alerted or favorited this story- I'd love it if you left me a review! I am happy to know that so many people are enjoying it, but it would be even better to read what you actually think about it! =)**

The story was good—in fact, it was the only thing that made any real sense. He could work it in a way that she bought it, he hoped.

He didn't see Gibbs behind the staircase, waiting for him, most likely because he was distracted. Gibbs' eyes flashed, knowing that he had just come from the Director's office, and wondering what she had to say to him now. Tony knew in an instant that they must have had some pretty harsh words concerning his promotion. It was then that he realized that Gibbs was angry at Jenny for not telling him about the promotion, and surprised that Tony had accepted it. Although he had full confidence in Tony's abilities as team leader, as he had told Jenny—he wouldn't have left if he didn't, he knew that Tony himself didn't think he was ready for it. This had come about quite unlike Gibbs had envisioned, with Tony rallying to get his own team and making a big deal out of it. No, this was quite unexpected, and he recognized the look in Gibbs' eyes, as it mirrored his own when Gibbs bid them all goodbye and left for Mexico.

"Uh, boss…" Tony began. Gibbs cut him off with a handshake, and after a moment, a brief hug. It wasn't as tender as the way he hugged Ducky, wasn't as sweet as his kisses to Abby, but it was completely Gibbs and completely him, an accurate hug to encompass their relationship.

I'm proud of you DiNozzo," Gibbs said in his soft, deep voice, "you'll make a great team leader. It won't be the same without you."

"Thanks, Gibbs. You've taught me more these past few years…" he broke off, "…I'm going to miss working for you Gibbs. We had a great run."

Gibbs nodded in acknowledgement. "If you need anything… my door is always unlocked."

And with that, the rare, shared moment was over.

"Oh, and Tony," Gibbs called out before departing, "you need to talk to Ziva."

"I know boss," he replied, "I will."


	9. Feeling Refreshed

Sunday afternoon, Tony woke up refreshed. After getting the equivalent of Gibbs' blessing, he took him up on his offer and joined Gibbs in his basement later that night. They drank bourbon while Gibbs worked on his boat, and spent time together mostly in silence. Occasionally, one of them broke the silence, and their conversations consisted in stories about their time in the field and their time spent as team leader. Tony learned more about Gibbs, the man, than he had in the whole time working for him. Gibbs even smiled at Tony's stories about the team while he'd been in Mexico. He told him about the cases that came up, his campfires, his methods of knowing what the team was talking about behind his back, and how proud he was of each and every member of the team for the way they dealt with the change of authority. It wasn't always easy, but when it came down to it, they were all completely supportive of one another. He could see the pride reflecting in Gibbs, too.

Tony didn't get home until the early hours of the morning, but he didn't care. He had a renewed confidence in himself, and felt sure that his relationship with Gibbs wouldn't suffer because he was leaving. Would things be the same? No. Would they keep in touch, the way he would with Abby? No, probably not. But that wouldn't matter. Even though they'd be technically equals, Gibbs would always be 'boss', just like Tim would always be 'probie', even if he became the Director of the Agency himself. It made Tony smile to think about it—Tim would, in fact, make a wonderful director someday.

It was time to crack open the files of his new team members. Today was a day for himself, a day for preparation. He was almost done packing, thanks to the help from Abby and Jimmy. McGee had given him the name of the best movers around, and he had given Tony a list of 5 apartments according to the specifications he had given him. He had the rest of the week to deal with Ziva and Jeanne; today, he allowed himself to really get excited about what was to come. With a smile and a freshly brewed cup of hazelnut coffee (his favorite), he began to browse through the information about the apartments, read about NCIS Rota, Spain, and analyze his new team members.


End file.
